Resilient squeezable spray dispenser

ABSTRACT

A spray container including an outer receptacle of yieldable or resilient material, the outer vessel being adapted to hold a supply of a first fluid and having a top opening to the exterior of the receptacle; an inner vessel of yieldable or resilient material adapted to hold a supply of a second fluid; a top sealing member engaged to the outer receptacle about the top opening, a nozzle within the top member and opening to the exterior of the container, the nozzle joined to passage means extending to the interior of the outer receptacle to receive said first fluid and to the inner vessel to receive said second fluid.

[4 1 Jan. 18, 1972 [54] RESILIENT SQUEEZABLE SPRAY DISPENSER [72] lnventor: Hubert J. Gaetke, 6630 Dartmoor Way,

San Jose, Calif. 95129 [22] Filed: Nov.6, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 874,479

Nagler et a1 ..222/564 X lngell ..239/356 X Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant ExaminerNorman L. Stack, Jr. Attorney-Jack M. Wiseman and Thomas E. Schatzel [57] ABSTRACT A spray container including an outer receptacle of yieldable or resilient material, the outer vessel being adapted to hold a supply of a first fluid and having a top opening to the exterior of the receptacle; an inner vessel of yieldable or resilient material adapted to hold a supply of a second fluid; a top sealing member engaged to the outer receptacle about the top opening, a nozzle within the top member and opening to the exterior of the container, the nozzle joined to passage means extending to the interior of the outer receptacle to receive said first fluid and to the inner vessel to receive said second fluid.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED Jmslsza Q 3,635,375

INVENTOR. HUBERT J. GAETKE BY mJJM ATTORNEYS RESILIENT SQUEEZABLE SPRAY DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved spraying device having a multiple of compartments for simultaneously discharging and mixing of different fluid materials. The structure is adapted for hand operation in which the fluids may be simultaneously mixed and released to the exterior upon pressurebeing applied on an outer receptacle of the device. Such devices have wide uses including those for the dispensing of various hair oils and dyes, deodorants, perfumes, cleaners, insect repellent and the like;

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention teaches a multicompartment dispensing container including an outer receptacle and an inner vessel in which fluid materials may be kept separate until time of application. The teachings provide an economical structure which.may be disposedof upon exhaustion of the fluids or which may be refilled, if desired. In an exemplary embodiment of the container, the outer receptacle has an open end and is comprised of a yieldable material such as a compressible plastic. Disposed within the outer receptacle is an inner vessel comprised of a yieldable material, said inner vessel carrying a closed and an open end. At the top of the outer receptacle about its open end is a sealing cap. The cap carries an opening defining a nozzle hole communicating between the exterior of the outer receptacle and a mixing chamber within the container. The open end of the inner vessel is positioned to communicate with the mixing chamber. Also, a channel extends from the chamber to communicate with the interior of the receptacle. The channel establishes a capillary tube action. With the container structurein an inverted position, the first fluid within the receptacle is restricted from flow to the mixing chamber due to the surface tension of capillaryaction. The fluid flows to the mixing chamber when the outer receptacle is squeezed or compressed. At the same time the first fluid therein compresses the inner vessel forcing a second fluid within the inner vessel to the mixing chamber at the same time the first fluid is being forced through the nozzle.

BRIEF DESCRIptioN OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation partially sectioned and partially broken away view of a structure of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the apparatus of FIG. 1 in perspective in an operative position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation partially sectioned and partially broken away view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is depicted an lembodiment of the present invention as it relates to a spray container for atomizing a liquid fluid by an air fluid. 'II-Ie apparatus, referred to by the general reference character includes an outer receptacle 12 designed of a yieldable or resilient material such as a compressible plastic. The outer container 12 carries an open end 14 about a reduced diameter neck 15. Disposed within the vessel 12 is a yieldable inner vessel 16 which may assume the form of a bladder or other thin-walled air, container structure. The container 16 has a narrow or constricted open end 18 formed with an end bead 19. About the open end 14 of the container 12 is a cap means including an annular cap member 20 with a central opening 21. The cap member 20 is adapted to be attached to the outer container 12 by threads carried by the neck orother suitable fastening means. The cap means further includes a seal cap 22 is designed to fit over the opening 14 and beneath the cap member so as to create a seal between the cap member 20 and the interior of the container l2when the seal cap 22 is firmly threaded down. The seal cap 22 carries a nozzle 23 with a central hole 24 adapted to be in alignment with the opening LII 21 of the cap member 20. The nozzle 23 is raised so as to protrude within the opening 21 when the cap member 20 is secured in place to the receptacle 12. The nozzle communicates with a cylindrical interior-mixing chamber 26 integrally formed by a cylindrical shaped segment 27. A channel 28 communicates from the mixing chamber 26 to the interior of the receptacle 12. The segment 27 also establishes a lip for receiving the bead 19 of the inner vessel 16 so as to establish a friction fit between the vessel 16 and the segment 27 such that there is a channel communicating. between the mixing chamber 26 and the inner vessel 16. The vessel 16 is in turn suspended within the receptacle 12.

Accordingly, with the apparatus in an upright position as in FIG. 1, there is no liquid within the mixing chamber 26, but the chamber is filled with air. When-the apparatus is inverted, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the liquid within the receptacle [2 surrounds the opening of the channel 28. However, proper selection of the diameter of the channel 28 relative to the viscosity of the liquid within the receptacle, establishes a capillary effect such that the surface tension retards the flow of the liquid through the channel 28 under atmospheric conditions. However, upon applying pressure to the exterior of the receptacle 12, the increased pressure causes the liquid to flow through the channel 28 to the mixing chamber 26. At the same time upon externally squeezing the receptacle ,12, the liquid therein exerts a pressure on the vessel 16 thereby forcing air from within the vessel 16 to the mixing chamber 26. Consequently, the air and the liquid mix and the pressure forces the mixture through the nozzle 24 to the exterior in the form of an atomized spray. The nozzle opening 24 is of reduced diameter relative to that of the chamber 26 so that the velocity of the mixture is increased. Upon release of pressure to the outer receptacle 12, air bubbles" enter through the channel 28 to replace space vacated by the liquid fluid and air from the atmosphere enters through the opening 24to the interior of the bladder 16. Preferably, the channel 28 is positioned as near to the opening 24 as possible. This allows depletion of fluid within the mixing chamber and discourages fluid accumulating within the mixing chamber and drawn back into the interior of the vessel 16 upon release of the pressure to the vessel. The location of the channel 28 close to the nozzle hole 24 further aids in providing repetitive, even amounts of spray. 1n proven embodiments for spraying liquids such as hair oils, the nozzle opening 24 was in the order of 0.022 inch in diameter, the chamber 26 in the order of 0.062 inch in diameter and the channel 28 in the order of 0.015 inch in diameter. The inner vessel was comprised of a rubber material with a volume of 10 to 15 cubic centimeters and the outer receptacle had a volume in the order of 7 fluid ounces. It has also been found that the inner vessel may be in the form of bellows or spherical shape.

I claim:

1. A multicompartment dispensing container comprising, in combination:

an outer flexible receptacle containing a liquid and having an opening at an end portion thereof;

cap means for closing said opening, said cap means including a mixing chamber, means forming an orifice communicating with the exterior of the outer receptacle and the mixing chamber, and liquid flow control channel means communicating with said mixing chamber and the interior of the outer receptacle, said liquid flow control channel means being found with a cross-sectional area to establish a capillary action for retarding the flow of liquid within said liquid flow control channel means and an inner flexible vessel supported within the interior of the outer receptacle and having an open end communicating with said mixing chamber, said inner vessel containing a supply of air under atmospheric pressure, therethrough, whereby the compressing of said outer receptacle causes the liquid contained therein to flow into said mixing chamber through said liquid flow control channel means and to compress said inner vessel forcing the air contained in said inner vessel into said mixing chamber said mixing chamber being smaller in cross-sectional area than said inner vessel for increasing the fiow of air from the inner vessel when the inner vessel is squeezed for ejecting a spray through said means forming an orifice constituting a mixture of air and liquid.

2. The container of claim 1 in which the cap means is removable from the outer receptacle.

3. The container of claim 1 in which the cap means includes an annular cap segment adapted to be secured to said outer receptacle about said opening, an individual seal member segment adapted to at least in part cover said opening of the outer receptacle, said seal providing a sealant about the opening of the receptacle.

4. The container of claim 3 in which said seal member integrally forms said means forming an orifice.

5. The container of claim 3 in which said seal member defines said means forming an orifice and a cylindrical hollow body forming said mixing chamber, said body defining an aperture establishing said liquid flow control channel means.

6. THe container ofclaim Sin which the minimal cross-sectional area of the means forming an orifice is less than the minimal cross-sectional area of said chamber.

7. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mixing chamber has an outlet opening aligned with said means forming an orifice.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the cross-sectional area of said means forming an orifice is less than the cross-sectional area of said mixing chamber.

* II k 1C i 

1. A multicompartment dispensing container comprising, in combination: an outer flexible receptacle containing a liquid and having an opening at an end portion thereof; cap means for closing said opening, said cap means including a mixing chamber, means forming an orifice communicating with the exterior of the outer receptacle and the mixing chamber, and liquid flow control channel means communicating with said mixing chamber and the interior of the outer receptacle, said liquid flow control channel means being found with a crosssectional area to establish a capillary action for retarding the flow of liquid within said liquid flow control channel means and an inner flexible vessel supported within the interior of the outer receptacle and having an open end communicating with said mixing chamber, said inner vessel containing a supply of air under atmospheric pressure, therethrough, whereby the compressing of said outer receptacle causes the liquid contained therein to flow into said mixing chamber through said liquid flow control channel means and to compress said inner vessel forcing the air contained in said inner vessel into said mixing chamber said mixing chamber being smaller in crosssectional area than said inner vessel for increasing the flow of air from the inner vessel when the inner vessel is squeezed for ejecting a spray through said means forming an orifice constituting a mixture of air and liquid.
 2. The container of claim 1 in which the cap means is removable from the outer receptacle.
 3. The container of claim 1 in which the cap means includes an annular cap segment adapted to be secured to said outer receptacle about said opening, an individual seal member segment adapted to at least in part cover said opening of the outer receptacle, said seal providing a sealant about the opening of the receptacle.
 4. The container of claim 3 in which said seal member integrally forms said means forming an orifice.
 5. The container of claim 3 in which said seal member defines said means forming an orifice and a cylindrical hollow body forming said mixing chamber, said body defining an aperture establishing said liquid flow control channel means.
 6. THe container of claim 5 in which the minimal cross-sectional area of the means forming an orifice is less than the minimal cross-sectional area of said chamber.
 7. A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mixing chamber has an outlet opening aligned with said means forming an orifice.
 8. A container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the cross-sectional area of said means forming an orifice is less than the cross-sectional area of said mixing chamber. 